We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
1,224 of its 1,993 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Playa del Carmen accounted for 896 of Mexico's 1,224 stories about harm, carried by 1,017 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (791 stories). Extreme cold was named in 56 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.
432 of its 846 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. 146 of Rio Grande do Norte's 237 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (36 stories). Outbreaks were named in 126 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
1,161 of its 1,307 stories (89%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Bishkek accounted for 1,054 of Kyrgyzstan's 1,161 stories about harm, carried by 896 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (1,153 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
235 of its 418 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of abductions ran at about 8 times the usual rate (16 stories). Flu was named in 115 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with outbreaks. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
376 of its 500 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. 170 of Manama's 187 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (359 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
159 of its 296 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Kathmandu accounted for 141 of Nepal's 159 stories about harm, carried by 129 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (137 stories). Earthquake was named in 142 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.
303 of its 633 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (94 stories). Train derailment was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
27 of its 58 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of arrests ran at about 9 times the usual rate (6 stories). Drownings were named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
42 of its 124 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (18 stories). Tuberculosis was named in 18 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
1,154 of its 2,876 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (117 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Nepal (142 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); hypothermia in Greece (62 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); hunger in Taiwan (52 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flu in Croatia (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tuberculosis in North Korea (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 Jan. The big dot is this day; the shaded band is a normal day (the 30 days before it). Click a day to open it. Based on 45,509 stories about harm among 216,378 counted on 16 Jan.
In Mexico, 61% of the news was about people being harmed, where 28% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 21 in every 100 of the day's 216,378 stories, as usual. Mentions of the earthquake ran about 4 times their usual in Nepal's news. A year earlier, on 17 January 2016, 25 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 21 today.
Written by code from the day's numbers.
Countries with at least 50 stories that day.
Stories, not people.
The day's biggest events: attacks, accidents and disasters, people displaced, protests, outbreaks. Bigger dot: more stories. Ranked by the share of the day's outlets that reported it and how clearly it was about one thing, the same way for every place and year; the news data does not say who attacked whom, so both sides of a war appear where the news put them. Click a dot for its stories.
Of the stories about people being harmed, what part of life each was about. The mark is usual.
Stories that report it, not people: we count what reporters wrote, not what happened.
The words in the day's stories were much softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.
From the words reporters used across the whole day, never one story. Fear is the weakest of the four measures. How?
Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.
Create a free accountSign in · a username, an email and a password.